Brick-kiln.



J. T. UNDBRWOOD.

BRICK KILN.

APPLIOATION Hum 11110.22. ma.

Llf'. Patented Aug.4,.1914

WITNESS/5S.' /NVENTR UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE. i

JOHN T. UNDERWOOD, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERVVOGD ENGINEER- ING- COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPOERMATIIOIIv OF AMICHIGAN.

BRICK-KILN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug.4.,f1914.

Application med 'December 22, 191e. serial No. 808,059,

ing brick, tiles and other earthenware prod- I ucts, and its object is to provide a construction by means of which the articles within the kilns Will be evenly and thoroughly burned at minimum cost.

This invention consists in combination With a kiln, either permanent or built up of the articles to be burned, and of fuel and air conduits having openings through which the fuel and air may pass into the kiln, the fuel and air bothentering under| pressure at all times. y

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a horizontal section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several vieWs In the ordinary brick kilns the burnt gases which carry the heat are caused to pass from the burners between the brick by means of the draft of a chimney or chimneys. The result is that there is less than atmospheric jressure Within the kiln and that Whenever a crack develops in the outer`- shell of the bricks Which constitute the kiln, air rushes in through such cracks and chills the bricks adjacent such openings and prevents them from burning properly. In the present construction no reliance is placed upon tht draft from chimneys, but both air and fuel gas are forced into the kiln under pressure so that the entire interior ofthe kiln is under pressure at all times. An escape iiueI is desirable for the exit of the burnt gases. Should any crack occur in the outer shell of theV kiln, somev of the heated gases Within the kiln will escape, but no harm will be done thereby as the bricks adjacent to such an opening Will be burned as hard as any others in the kiln.

v The kiln shown in the accompanying drawing is merely conventional and of the bee-hive type. It is built up of cylindrical stacks 1 of brick which are separated by proper air spaces, the top of the kiln being closed by means of refractory slabs or bricks 3, and the top may beprc vided with discharge iiue 4. Extendingaround below the surface of the ground is shown a gas conduit which may be supplied from the tunnel 6 with gas under pressure. Atintervals burner chambers 7 are constructed Vabove the conduit, below which `areopenings 8 in the top of the conduit- 5, which openings may be closed by iieans ofv the Y.mushroom valves 9'.

AA pit 11 may be constructed to receive theV air main 12, from which the air-pipes 13 extend into the burner chambers, each being provided with a valve 14 whereby the flow of airway be regulated.

Extending from the pit 11 into the burner chambers 7 are the rods 15 having handles 16 on their outer ends. lVithin the chambers 7 are'chains 1S which wind on these rods 15 and connect to the mushroom valves 9 so that these valves can be raised to permit the iow of fuel gas under pressure into the chambers 7 and up through the openings into the kiln. Slabs 19 of refractory material will preferably be used to close the upper endvof the burner chambers, which slabs may have openings 20 to permit the discharge of the air and gas into the kiln.

It will therefore be seen that air and gas under pressure enter the kiln and burn' at the openings 20. The burnt gaseswill pass through the different openings left between the bricks in the kiln and finally escape through the discharge flue 4. The pressure within the kiln during t-he period of burning will always be above that of the atmosphere, and should any cracks occur, no cold air can enter because of this excess pressure.

The sizes, proportions and details of the different parts of the burners, as Well asthe construction of the oven, may be modified by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of my invention set forth in the claims. Y

I claim: l

1. In a kiln having imperforate outer Walls, the combination of a series of burner openings within the kiln at the floor level thereof, means for conducting air and gas Y to said openings under pressure where .the

Achambers connecting to the conduitand having openings into the kiln, a valve in each chamber to control the flow of gas under pressure into the chamber, an air main, a pipe extending from said main into each burner chamber and adapted to discharge air under pressure into the chamber together with the gas, so that during the burning of the materials in the kiln, the pressure Within the kiln sha-ll be above that of the atmosphere.

3. 'l'he process of burning bricks which consists in arranging them in proper form in a kiln having imperforate outer Walls, with air spaces so as to permit the passage of burnt gases between them, and With an outer coating to prevent the escape of the serving to prevent the ent-rance of atmos-v pheric air through any openings in the outer coating.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of tWo subscrib ing Witnesses. Y

JOHN T. UNDERWOOD.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD N. PAGELSEN, HUGO W. KREINBRING.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for` ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Petents,

Washington, D. G. 

